Mail-receptacle.



G. B. MOALLISTER.

MAIL REGEPTAOLE.

- APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 17, 1910. RENEWED MAR. 8, 1912.

Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

[NVENTOR WITNESSES G. B. MOALLISTER- MAIL RBGEPTACLB,

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 17, 1910. RENEWED MAB. a, 1912.

Patented 001211912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

oooooooo o m ooooooooooo N INVENTOR OR/KWQ [4. B. MOALLISTBR.

MAIL REGEPTAGLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUN 17, 1910. RENEWED MAR. a, 1912.

1 2,%58, Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q w r WITNESSES [NVENTOR TE @IT s ro.

GEORGE B. MQALLISTER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGIIOR T0 MOALLISTER STREET CAR MAIL BOX COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF CO- LUMBIA.

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Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

Application filed June 17, 1910, Serial No. 567,429. Renewed March 8, 1912. Serial No. 682,519.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. MoALLrs- PER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Receptacles, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to receptacles for letters, papers, and other mail matter usually deposited in mail boxes, and is particularly adapted for use upon street cars or other vehicles.

The main object of my invention is to provide a mail box which will thoroughly protect the mail receptacle or repository from the weather.

Another feature resides in the construction of a chute which will effectually protect the articles passing therethrough from contact with moisfisurfaces and in which provision is made to prevent any obstruction or clogging of the channel by the mail matter.

I have also provided for the ready removal of' the contents of the box, so that, if necessary, this may be done while the vehicle to which the box is attached is in motion.

The invention will be understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying ,drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a street-car showing my mail box secured thereto; Fig. 2 is a central transverse sectional view of the device; Fig. 3' is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the lower portion of one of the directing plates and a portion of thepartition to which it is secured, in section; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the directing plates and partition; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the frame and directing plates at the rear of the mail hopper or chute; Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 99 of'Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the locking. bar.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated .the manner in which the mail box may be placed upon the side of a street car and near one end thereof, so that the locking mechanism may be within reach of a mail collector when standing upon. the'step or platform. The

box 2 is preferably rectangular,- with a bottom plate 22 downwardly inclined toward the front. The top contains an open hopper 3, constituting the mouth of a tortuous chute leading to the. mail receptacle or repository 41. The inclined guides 5, 12, and 23, upon which the mail matter slides in its passage through the chute, are formed of a series of parallel beveled or wedge-shaped bars having their lower ends terminating in bent extensions which are secured to'shelves or partitions 7, 15, and 27, respectively, alternately inclined upwardly in opposite directions from the front and rear walls of the box. It will be observed that the bent extensions on the ends of the bars provide for a suflicient elevation of the guides above their supports, so that it is impossible for verse bars to the under sides of the guides,

as shown at 6, 14, and 25. In case a letter should project edgewise in the groove between adjacent guide-bars, the corner will strike one'of these transverse bars and be prevented from passing through the guides or lodging thereon. I have found that letters are very liable to catch in anyjoint or aperture between the parts of a chute, and I have therefore provided offsets or overhanging parts above the upper ends of each of'the inclined guides, which will effectually protect the joints between the guide-bars and the Walls of the box. I have shown a shelf or deflector 11 above the guide 12, and an offset 7 in the lower end of the'par'tition 7 above the guide 23.

To prevent theft of mail matter, as by the insertion of cords covered with adhesive material, I provide a series of rods 26 form-' ing a continuation in the plane of the guide '23, which would intercept anylarticles that might be drawn'upwardly.

In mail boxes which are provided with open slots or hoppers for the reception of mail articles, it is essential to provide means for protecting the interior of the box from the weather so that it will be impossible for moisture to reach the receptacle or mail repository. I have provided a series of chambers under the inclined guide of the chute and devices which effectually direct all moisture or moisture laden currents of air into these chambers. It is evident that any rain, snow, sleet, etc., which falls upon the bars or slats 5 of the outwardly flaring hopper 3, will pass into the underlying chamber and fall upon the inclined partition 7 which leads tothe slot 8 in the wall of the box. The drops of water which follow along the guide-bars to the extensions will be caughtv by the projecting lips 10 and pass into the chamber through the channels 9. In a similar manner, any rain or snow which falls upon the guides 12 and 23, will pass down ter is at all times safely conducted through.

the chute without danger of becoming wet. The back of the hopper is also guarded by means of a series of parallel wedge-shaped bars 11, which also serve to deflect the aircurrents which strike the box obliquely. I have shown the bars 11 projecting beyond the deflecting shelf 11' for the purpose of guiding the mail matter safely into the chute.

I have found that sudden gusts of wind will carry moisture-laden air or fine particles of snow through the chute and into the mail receptacle unless devices are provided to deflect the air currents. Gusts of wind or dashing rain striking the side of the car at the back of the ho per will be deflected outwardly by the shelf 11, which will very materially protect the mouth of the chutefrom these entering air-currents. A large proportion of the rain will be reflected back upon the opposite slotted guide and will pass through into the chamber beneath. Air currents which enter the chute in a direction to strike the bars 12, pass through the slots therebetween and are guided by the deflector plate 16 toward the opening 18. Such aircurrents as pass directly through the u per arm of the chute and strike the lower p ane of the chute, will pass through the slots between .the guide-bars 23 and be deflected by the plate 29 toward the opening 28. These deflector plates 19 and 29 effectually prevent I prefer to emplo any air-currents from entering the receptacle 41. The sudden swin ing of the car and the vibrations due to sudden jolts cause drops of water to be thrown from the guide bars 12 upon the under side of the plate 7 from whence they fall upon the bars 23, but in any case, it is impossible for water to reach the mail receptacle. It sometimes happens that the wind will strike the box in a downward direction, oblique to the end walls. To furnish a direct exit for such side walls, which taper upwardly and are protected by hoods of corresponding outline upon the outside of the box and which flare outwardly toward their lower open mouths.

In order that the contents of the box may be quickly removed, I provide a door hinged at the bottom and extending above the lower arm of the chute, and attach the lower set of guide-bars thereto. When the door is swung outwardly the entire front of the receptacle is left unobstructed, and the upper arm of the chute is'directly accessible for. examination by inserting the hand. The importance air-currents, I provide openings 39, in the of this will be appreciated by letter car'- riers who have had experience with boxes 'in which it was necessary to extend the arm from a door in the lower part of a box into the upper art to dislodge articles that had become we ged.

The locking mechanism for the door which comprises a hasp 31 pivoted to the wal of the box, which is provided upon its lower face with an aperture 33, to be engaged respectively by the ture 32 andupon its side face with an aperbolt 32 of a'spring catch 30 upon the front of the box, and by the bolt 34 of a spring look upon the end wall thereof. A pivotedlatch 38 on the door isadapted to engage a catch 37 on the end of the box and prevent the door from falling outwardly when the hasp is released.

By placing the box adjacent one end of the car, the mail collector may release the lock 35 while standing upon the platform, thuscausing the hasp 31 to bel, .l i,fted by the spring 36, out of engagement with the spring catch 34, and permitting the'door to move outwardly until held by the gravity wardly by lifting the latch 38. When the.

contents of the K have been discharged,

latch 38. The hasp may then be swung back the door will be automatically locked by swinging it back into closed position.

The specific locking mechanism 'disclosed herein will constitute thesubject-matterof a separate application. a

While I have described in detail the particular structure disclosed herein, it is evident that changes may be made therein without departing from the s. irit of my invention or from the scope o my claims, which are I r 1. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, a. hopper to receive the articles, a tortuous channel connecting said hopper and said receptacle comprising a plurality of inclined guides, and projections overhanging the upper ends of said guides, to prevent mail articles from impinging in the angle at the upper ends of said guides.

2. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, a hopper to receive the articles, and a tortuous channel connecting said hopper and said receptaclehaving a plurality of angularly arranged guides, each of said guides comprising a series of parallel beveled bars having their lower ends bent to provide an enlarged clearance between the successive guides, the axis of each bar being in a vertical plane.

3. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, a hopper to receive the articles, a tortuous channel connecting said hopper and said receptacle having a plurality of angularly arranged guides, each of said guides comprising a series of parallel beveled bars having their lower ends bent to provide an enlar ed clearance between successive guides, an a plurality of straight transverse bars secured to the inner sides of said beveled bars. i

4. A mail-box, com rising a receptacle for mail articles, and a hopper to receive the articles, said hopper having an outwardly flaring mouth and the front and back walls thereof comprising a series of parallel beveled bars the axis of eachbar being in a vertical plane. I

5. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, and a hopper to receive the articles, said hopper havlng an outwardly flaring mouth and the front and back walls thereof being provided with a series of parallel beveled bars having their axes arranged in' vertical planes, said bars upon the front side being inclined and having their lower ends bent to provide an enlarged clearance between said front and back walls.

6. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle.

clined parallel beveled bars having their axes arranged in vertical planes, each of said bars having their lower ends bent to provide an enlarged clearance between the front and rear Walls of the hopper, acham berbeneath said parallel bars, and a lip projecting under said lower ends and having a channel connecting with' said chamber.

7. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, an open hopper to receive the articles, a tortuous passage connecting said hopper with said receptacle, said passage havlng a plurality of inclined slotted guides, chambers beneath said guides having passages leading through the exteriorwall of said box, and deflecting plates within said chambers adapted to direct air pressure toward said passages.

8. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, an open hopper to receive the articles, atortuous passage connecting said hopper with said receptacle, said passage having a plurality of inclined slotted guides, chambers beneath said guides having passages leading through the exterior wall of said box, projectinglips under each of said guides having channels communicating with said chambers, and deflecting plates within said chambers adapted to direct air pressure toward said passages.

9. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, an open hopper to receive the articles, a tortuous passa e connecting said.hopper with said receptac e, and downwardly directed shielded vent openings in the side walls of the box communicating with said passage.

10. A mail-box, comprising a receptacle for mail articles, an open hopper to receive the articles, a tortuous passage connecting said hopper with said receptacle having oppositely inclined guides, and a hinged door constituting a portion of the front wall of the box, one of said guides being secured to said door to move outwardly therewith, thereby permitting access to the upper part of the channel.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

' GEORGE B. MOALLISTER. Witnesses: p

BURNETT S. JONES,

J. WM. Mrs'ran. 

